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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26335618">Radix</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlltheB7/pseuds/AlltheB7'>AlltheB7</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Interstitial [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, past Luna/Ginny</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:47:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,443</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26335618</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlltheB7/pseuds/AlltheB7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Luna Lovegood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Interstitial [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1913692</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Radix</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div>
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p>Hermione's hands are in the garden soil and Luna is a row over, smudge of dirt across her pointed chin. It's quite disarming. [Luna] is disarming. Hermione has found that with each passing day she finds the blonde increasingly attractive. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>This is unprecedented for her. Usually, such as with Ron, she feels an instant attraction that then tapers away as she discovers more about a person. And Hermione's not dumb, she knows this is attraction. But this isn't common for her. Or normal. Then again, showing up at a person's doorstep in the rain isn't exactly normal either. It's difficult for her to admit to herself that she is struggling with remnants of the war. Which she keeps telling herself is silly because she's human and she is allowed to struggle, too. And was it a [war] war? Or just a bunch of narcissists wreaking fascist havoc? </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>She sighs. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Here you are."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Hermione stops the vicious digging of her fingers and looks up at the blonde. When had she left? There's a glass of cold lemonade and she takes it, grateful for the interruption. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Oh, cheers" she raises the glass and squints up before taking a long draught. [Thank goodness] Luna decided to use a fridge. The cold drink splashes down her throat and she feels herself cool down from the inside. "You are a precious gift to humanity." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Luna plops down, pink and sweaty and cross-legged, next to her. "Or just you" comes a lilting retort. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Hermione finishes the rest of her lemonade and stares out across the garden, eyes seeking whatever thing Luna seems to be tracking.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>A fingertip traces the rim. "Why did you create that spell for potions?" The implied [why a love spell instead of a simple scent spell] is there in the silence.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Because a scent would only mask the mold." Very simple answer. Honest. But Hermione is watching her profile and notices the disciplined gaze stiffen and flicker. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>The brunette considers the situation. She appreciates that Luna made an effort, but it's clear there's something more. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Did you smell it, too?" She asks softly. Memories of her arm bleeding and the dark dungeon come back. She lets them as she moves in the dirt, turning in soil and filling the deep hole she dug previously.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>A hum and a nod. The slim hands in gloves keep moving. The wide brim hat bounces slight, but steady. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Only in passing. I didn't realize why it bothered me until the second day." Luna's voice is huskier. She sighs and moves back to her row, resuming the work. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"So" Hermione continues "you mastered a few elements that year." Hermione is focused intently on her own hands. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Another hum. The dirt is clumpy and Hermione breaks it between her fingers. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"I did." There's a pause, hesitation that Hermione has never really seen in Luna before. "Ginny helped me a lot. But that spell is how I discovered the delineation between elements."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Hermione contemplates her own discovery of picking apart elements while they searched for horcruxes. If they hadn't been stressed and hungry, she would have whooped for joy at her discovery. It was quite a feat. She shuffles further down the row and digs in her fingers. She has one more row after this and then they'll plant and spell the rows. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Was it exciting for you?" Hermione wants to know more.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Another hesitation. "Not much." The blonde continues after a pause. "A spell to ward off bad smells would affect your potions work. I didn't want to affect your classwork." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Hermione moved to the next row and continued working silently.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Ginny and I practiced on each other." </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Her hands stopped and she stared at her wrists.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Who knew Ginny could be such a Weasley." She digs back into the row "Or you" she huffs. "I would have figured something out," she mutters.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"We saw you. So we helped." There's another unspoken meaning here. [You would have done the same.]</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Irritated at her own sensitivity, Hermione's fingers clench. "What would have happened if something went wrong? You two could have hurt each other - seriously hurt each other."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>More hesitation. Then a wet laugh. "The worst thing that could have happened would be breaking Harry's heart." [By making Ginny fall in love with you.] "Besides, if anything bad happened, Ginny assured you'd have figured something out."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>At this Hermione laughs. Then snorts. "Typical bloody Weasley."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Having Ginny fall in love with me would hardly be a bother. Win-win."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>A bark of laughter jumps from her and Hermione's eyes are watery. "She is quite the catch." Thinking another moment, she asks because she can't keep her curiosity in any longer "So if you both cast love spells on each other, how did you manage to keep from falling for her?"</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"When she found out that I was casting spells on myself, Ginny made me stop. We would figure it out together, she said." Luna flicks her wand and their cups refill. "She didn't want me to make her fall in love with Harry because - "</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"She was already in love."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>" - because then she'd have the almost uncontrollable urge to leave Hogwarts."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>The dirt surrounded her.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"So you cast a love spell on yourself? What was that like?"</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Luna looks up, pale freezia eyes on her. "I cast the spell to fall in love with you."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Brow creasing, Hermione feels stuck. She forces a laugh "Why on earth would you do that?"</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"If I fell in love with you, I would still be dedicated to figuring out how to cast the spell properly." That enigmatic smile morphs "And worse case, I fall in love with one of the most brilliant people I could ever know."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>It's actually logical. [And] shes feeling confident that no one got hurt. She is also flattered. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"So did Ginny and Katie ever have to shred any love letters? I never noticed if you ever acted differently around me." She takes a long drink and sighs. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>The blonde laughs. "There were a few times we ate dinner in my quarters." Then there's that disarming wry twist. Something isn't being said.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Hermione thinks back to the beginning of the graduation year. She can't honestly think of a single moment where Luna ever acted weird. ...Or well, [weirder.]</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Do you remember the night we went out to hunt orguminzel mushrooms for class?" Luna asked. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Hermione has a vague recollection of going out to the edges of the Forbidden Forest to search for the mushrooms.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Not well, no." Hermione thinks harder. She's having a memory of wandering the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A flash of Luna smiling, hand clasped as she's being led further, the smell of forest breathing. "Wait, was that the night we put durmiweed in our hair?" She is recalling Luna saying that the durmiweed helped to release magical chemicals to find the mushrooms.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>The wry grin again.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>In the summer heat, Hermione feels herself blush hotter. Luna laughs quietly, turning back to the dirt. "What's so funny?" Hermione wants to know.</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>"Orguminzel mushrooms don't grow in Scotland."</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Hermione gasps. "Luna Lovegood! Are you saying that when you were under a love spell, your big romantic overture was to... take me on a goose chase?"</p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Luna finishes up her row with another quiet laugh. Turning over the memories, Hermione remembers Luna dragging her in circles, dancing under the full moon, face upturned. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p> </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p> </p>
  </div>
  <hr/>
  <p></p>
  <div>
    <p> </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p> </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Its a quiet evening. They unpacked from their trip to the market and Hermione is sketching Crookshanks lounging on Luna's back while she reads the Quibbler. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Eyes lighting up, she has an idea "I was hoping to investigate more muggle technology while in London. Harry has provided a list of things not to say and do, outside of the ministry regulations. I fear that after the last letter I sent, he has slipped in a few pranks. Ginny says he was too eager when writing the list." Lit up like freesia, her eyes dance. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>It is interesting, but unsurprising, Harry has made and developed many friendships through the years. It's easy to imagine Harry and Luna in the same space and Harry making jokes with Luna. In a way, they share a certain lightness, a penchant for sunshine and curiosities. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>Then the lithe woman is riffling through a pack, long hair falling over her shoulders. In an unconscious gesture, the wisps are pulled back and wand tucked back in place behind the other ear. Standing with a parchment in hand, she turns and brings the list to Hermione. </p>
  </div>
  <div>
    <p>As she's holding the paper, another thought strikes her. "Why don't you join me? You can stay at my flat."</p>
  </div>
</div>
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